“Swinton are appalling at their service and problem solving. I have been dealing with them for over a year for a request of dual insurance form after realising that I had taken up two policies for the same property. I cancelled the other insurance and stayed with Swinton because they were slightly cheaper.
As a result the other company have requested for a dual insurance form to be completed to avoid charges. Despite several emails and phone calls, the problem hasn’t been solved. It’s left me with sleepless nights. As a result I also had to pay in Full the other company for the same insurance and duration, to avoid debt collectors harassing me.
I will NEVER use them again nor recommend them to anyone else in my family of friends.
Just imagine if this was for a claim. They are dishonest and not transparent.”
“We have Home emergency, first phoned on 22.10 to report a leak on our boiler. They sent a plumber (it’s illegal for them to do anything to the boiler but they still sent him) he said he would report back the part we needed. Tuesday we phoned again to see what was happening. They didn’t know how much we could claim back if we sorted our own engineer or how we go about claiming the money back. It was left that he would arrange an engineer. Phoned again today to be told they hadn’t arranged an engineer because we were arranging our own! That wasn’t what we had agreed, we were told an engineer would be here today. We were offer a hotel stay, portable heaters but no engineer, this company just cannot get any engineers to do the work for them so they either want you to sort your own or take up their offer of a hotel room for one night, they still wouldn’t have fix it in the one night they were offering. Absolute joke of a company. No one knows what they are doing.”
“Paid my late father's house insurance in full in one-off payment of £161. Cancelled policy 7 months later after house was sold. Instead of receiving a rebate for the remaining 5 months, Swinton demanded money from me which I wouldn't pay. They then had the audacity to ask when my house insurance was due so they could contact me with a quote. I told them not to bother.”
“They don't cover my area as if I live in a foreign country! Talk about integration and no child left in poverty well if people are given insurance quotes based on where they are born or live surely you are partly to blame for poverty and inequality in my area.
If you think my area is not worthy of insurance then get bulldozers and bring down to ground!”
“Absolute awful ridiculous everytime i phonecthem they cannot find any information about me after i answer all security question when they sent me a letter about renewing the insurance and policy number i told them i dont want to renew and never listened still sending my renewal to the insurer even without my consent absolutely ridiculous id never get again from a broker when something wrong happen they pass the phone to different department.i spent 2 hours trying to get thru different dept.never again”
“I had been a customer for about 4 years, never had any problems( apart from not getting a cover note), I was paying around £300 a year for my Ford Fiesta, seemed fair enough, i then changed to car to another Fiesta, this time an Eco boost 1 litre model, before purchasing the car, I check with Swinton, for a quote, they responded immediately, it would be £32 a month, almost identical to what I was paying for the other car, so, all good, I buy the car, I missed an email from Swinton, which was the new quote being offered, but no worry, it was a decent quote, then, on checking my bank statement, I see I’m being charged £52 a month, (over a year, that’s over £600. Now I’m thinking this is a simple mistake, I call Swinton, there’s no mistake! That’s the cost of the policy, I then check with Go compare, there are over 70 better quotes, many of them under £290 for the year. I have cancelled my insurance, and I will never use Swinton again. I put in a complaint, requesting a refund, so far I have heard nothing, it’s been a week since, so not expecting anything now, my advice, shop elsewhere.”
“Extortion
I have been a loyal Swinton vehicle insurance customer for many years, no claims against me for over 30 years and no motoring convictions spent or unspent. You'd think I'd be the kind of customer they'd like to keep, but apparently not.
Last year, having paid my insurance in full, I was hounded for 6 weeks by Close Brothers threatening to cancel my insurance unless I signed a credit agreement. This was because Swinton "customer service" had generated an unrequested credit agreement and failed to record my full payment.
This year, they have topped this by attempting to extort a further premium from me because a no-fault collision that occured in 2018 has apparently been recorded twice on a database. Although it is patently clear to all concerned that this is what has happened, Swinton "customer service" are doing nothing to help correct this error, only demanding payment of an additional premium for an "undisclosed claim" and if I don't pay they will cancel my insurance in 2 days time. This is extortion. I have spoken to "customer service" several times and they have said they will get back to me, but they have not. Finally I raised a complaint 3 days ago and have still heard nothing. If I pay the extra premium, Swinton charge an admin fee, if they cancel my insurance they also charge an admin fee. They don't seem to care about any of the moral issues here, only about taking people's money however and whenever they can. Regardless of outcome, they're making money and that's quite clearly the only thing they care about and certainly NOT taking care of their customers.”
“Awful place stay away I have been trat like dirt.
They haven't given me 3 credit markers in 4 months.
They take money early.
They say they will take 170 when you say that's all you have and they take 250 instead so you have nothing to live on.
You ask when you take out the policy for them to take payment on the 7th when you get paid, he says he will update system.
Forgets to update system and my credit file got a marker.
And I've been on phone 10 hours unpaid work for begging for money back, and asking why have I been misinformed so many times.
Manager keeps saying its not important so we will get to you when we can. Cheers mate.”
“Really bad customer service.
Always take long times to get back to you.
They don't get in touch unless its threatening even if you've tried getting in touch numerous times through covid.
Its been endless problems.
They took money too early twice.
One time took too much and covered out my bank, eventually said sorry and gave me it back. Still though it's a shambles me and my daughter was begging friends for money for 2 weeks.
Then more problems arrise.”
“Took money from my account a few times at the wrong dates, got credit markers now and stress.
Also I told them I sold my car so they said they would keep it insured till I get a new one. This is totally illegal as I would of got done if the new driver did anything wrong in the car.
8 weeks waiting list for complaints. Which don't exactly get solves easily. 10+ hours on phone trying to get my money back at times.
Absolutely awful.”
“They took money from my bank account. I never dealt with them and now I have to waste time trying to have my money back.
I will leave another review to keep you updated on what time it will take.”
“Nothing but trouble, no personal contact just all online documents
my insurance expires September and I will not be renewing it. Rubbish rubbish rubbish”
“Swinton charges job occupation status change from EMPLOYED to UNEMPLOYED NEARLY £290. And it does matter when you do a mid term adjustment it is still £290. SCARY do they do this with house insurance. What if you forget to update the change, will they refuse the claim as invalid? Every expensive if you keep changing jobs!”
“Cancelled my policy 9 months in and because I brought online they charged me an extra £40 for cancellation charges. Which was half my original policy. Refused to continue the policy because I had sold my bike. And no waving of cancellation fee because I took the policy out online. Will never use swinton again.”
“£39 quoted by Swinton Car Insurance for modifying policy by adding a towbar; even if I don't make any changes to the policy once I start the process of modifying the policy i get a quote of £39.....amazing!”
“Need to change my address on my van insurance as I've moved. They want £35 to do this? I've tried to make an account with these guys to change it myself but surprise surprise they don't do accounts for vans. Vey rude staff aswel. I know they are cheap but in future I'll look elsewhere than a close Atlanta company. Would also hazard at guess that their positive reviews are fake.”
“I rang Swinton for the simple reason that it insures my house and I am moving to another one. I paid a 1 year premium up front on April 3rd and at the time I made it clear that I would be soon moving house. Completion occurred on my house on April 16th so I no longer needed the cover. When I rang I asked if the existing cover could be suspended until completion happened on the house I am moving to, I was told I had to be refunded, the only way to deal with the situation. I paid £154.95 on April 3rd and I was told the refund would be £89,69. On the face of it that is £65.26 for about a fortnight' s insurance! I was told I had to pay £25 cancellation fee plus something else which left me with £65.26. Having told Swinton on April 3rd that I would shortly be moving and being advised to renew on the house I have now sold I think I have been appallingly treated. After some courteous but forthright comments I made during which time I was told that I was causing stress to the Swinton employee (there was stress at this end too)I was told that the refund would be £124.69. The difference between £154.95 and £124.69 is accounted for by the cancellation charge and the brief period my existing house was insured between April 3rd and 16th. I have been told that if I insure the house I am moving to with Swinton, the £25 might be refunded. Why could not have Swinton dealt with this properly when I rang instead of subjecting me to extended obfuscation which must have lasted over 30 minutes? I am unimpressed and I seem to be one of many dissatisfied Swinton customers.”
“I added my daughter to my existing policy, £490., I thought that was OK for a year, only it wasn't for a year it was for under 3 months. I phoned to talk to them, was told I could do a new policy but I couldn't until my direct debit had been received by them ( it had left my husbands account) they said they would phone me as soon as they received it, never received the call back. So I phoned them, gave all my details but as soon as I did, he said he had a meeting to go to and would phone me back, he did, then said he had to go and would phone me back, he didn't. Now I had run into another month. I phoned to speak to someone and they put me through to complaints.
My complaint was upheld. I phoned to see if I had any outstanding balance and was was told there was no outstanding balance as my complaint had been upheld. Then I get 2 letters threatening debt collectors. So I phoned them again and was told it was their system and that it took 3 days for it to catch up and that I did owe them money for cover. I explained that I was told I didn't owe anything, he could check as calls are recorded, but that doesn't count as their system doesn't update. I have now asked to be put through to complaints and have been holding for 25 minutes so far. Worst customer services I have ever had. I now have cover with my daughter on and 2 learner drivers cheaper their quote.”
